Container for decorative grass

ABSTRACT

A container liner comprising a backing, a porous covering, a seed carrier interposed between the backing and the covering, and a plurality of seeds embedded in the seed carrier such that upon germination the seeds will sprout through the porous covering to form a soft, natural, protective cushion for objects, such as candies or Easter eggs. The container liner is sufficiently flexible so that the container liner can be easily manipulated to substantially conform to the interior contour of the container.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/425,174, filedApr. 16, 2009, now abandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.12/152,999, filed May 19, 2008, now abandoned; which is a continuationof U.S. Ser. No. 11/027,216, filed Dec. 29, 2004, now abandoned; whichis a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/715,581, filed Nov. 18, 2003, nowabandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/315,426, filedDec. 10, 2002, now abandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.09/800,407, filed Mar. 5, 2001, now abandoned; which is a divisional ofU.S. Ser. No. 09/533,878, filed Mar. 22, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No.6,293,401, issued Sep. 25, 2001; which is a continuation of Ser. No.09/343,925, filed Jun. 30, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,601, issued May23, 2000; which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/093,954, filed Jul. 23, 1998. Theentire contents of each of the above-referenced patents and patentapplications are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to liners, and moreparticularly, but not by way of limitation, to a container fordecorative grass.

2. Brief Description of the Related Art

Strips of sheet material formed into tufts have been used for manyyears. More specifically, material known as decorative grass has beenused in fruit baskets, Easter baskets, picnic baskets and othercontainers and receptacles for decorative and cushioning purposes. Thedecorative grass of the prior art has been produced by numerous methodsand from a variety of materials such as polymeric materials, paper,cellophane or the like. Typically, such materials are cut and shreddedto produce individual segments having predetermined dimensions.

A problem associated with decorative grass is that it can easily fallout of the container in which it is disposed or cling to other objects,and therefore is inconvenient to clean up and to dispose of.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basket having a liner constructed inaccordance with the present invention disposed therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liner of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 a perspective view of another embodiment of a liner constructedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the liner of FIG. 5 shown disposed in abasket.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway, elevational view of another embodiment ofa liner constructed in accordance with the present invention showndisposed in a container.

FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway, perspective view of a basket constructedin accordance with the present invention shown with a quantity ofdecorative grass disposed therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIG. 1, a liner10 constructed in accordance with the present invention is showndisposed in a container, such as a basket 12. The basket 12 has an upperend 14, a lower end 16, and an outer surface 18. An opening 19 is formedin the basket 12, with a portion of the basket opening 19 intersectingthe upper end 14 of the basket 12 forming an inner surface 20. Thebasket opening 19 is sized and shaped to receive a plurality of objects22, such as candies or Easter eggs, for display. It will be appreciatedthat the liner 10 described below is not limited to being used withEaster baskets, but can be used to line fruit baskets, picnic baskets,as well as other containers and receptacles.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the liner 10 includes a waterproof backing24, a porous covering 26, a seed carrier 28 (FIG. 3) interposed betweenthe backing 24 and the covering 26, and a plurality of seeds 30 (FIG. 3)embedded in the seed carrier 28, such that upon germination, the seeds28 will sprout through the porous covering to form a soft, natural,cushioning tuft 32. The liner 10 is sufficiently flexible so that theliner 10 can be easily manipulated to substantially conform to theinterior contour of the basket 12.

The seeds 30 can be any seed or a combination of seeds. However, winterwheat seeds have been found to be a suitable seed in that winter wheatseeds tend to sprout within about three to four days after being exposedto moisture, and produce a thin dark green blade. In addition, suchblades are relatively rigid enabling them to remain substantially erectup to a height of about three to four inches and thereby provide a soft,natural, protective cushion for objects displayed in the basket 12. Ryeseeds are also preferable seeds for the purpose of this invention.

Alternatively, plant material that is capable of being stored for longperiods of time in a dry condition and which becomes rejuvenated uponexposure to moisture can be implanted in the seed carrier 28. An exampleof such a plant is selaginella lepidophylla, or more commonly referredto as the dinosaur plant. The seed carrier 28 is fabricated of amaterial capable of holding moisture to the seeds 30 to fostergermination and subsequent growth. Any material capable of holding theseeds and retaining moisture may be utilized. For example, the seedcarrier 28 may be fabricated of a sponge material, a tissue, a cloth, agel, soil, or the like.

The backing 24 serves as a barrier to prevent moisture in the seedcarrier 28 from leaking into the basket 12. To this end, the backing 24is constructed of a flexible, waterproof sheet of material, such as apolymer film. The term “polymer film” as used herein means a syntheticpolymer such as a polypropylene or a naturally occurring polymer such ascellophane. The backing 24 may be constructed of a single layer ofmaterial or a plurality of layers of the same or different types ofmaterials. Any thickness of the backing 24 may be utilized in accordancewith the present invention.

The covering 26 serves to hold the seeds 30 in position and permit theseeds 30 to emit their sprouts. The covering 26 can be any suitableporous sheet material, such as cloth with a course weave or withopenings formed therein, or a piece of film or paper or other flexiblematerial provided with openings 34 to permit the seeds to emit theirsprouts.

In assembly, the seed carrier 28, together with the seeds 30, is encasedbetween the backing 24 and the covering 26 with the seeds 30 positionedto permit the sprouts of the seeds 30 to grow up through the openings 34of the covering 26. The backing 24 and the covering 26 are secured toone another along the periphery in a suitable fashion such as by bondingthe backing and the covering together with an adhesive or stitching.

In an assembled condition, the backing 24 defines a lower surface 36 ofthe liner 10 and the covering 26 defines an upper surface 38. Further,the liner 10 is illustrated herein as having a square configuration.However, it will be appreciated that the liner 10 can be formed into anyother desired geometric shape, such as circular, triangular, orrectangular.

The backing 24 and the covering 26 of the liner 10 may vary in color.Further, each may consist of designs which are printed, etched, and/orembossed. In addition, the backing and the covering may have variouscolorings, coatings, flocking and/or metallic finishes, or becharacterized totally or partially by pearlescent, translucent,transparent, or the like, qualities. Each of the above-namedcharacteristics may occur alone or in combination. Moreover, each of thebacking 24 and the covering 26 may vary in the combination of suchcharacteristics.

A bonding material 40 may be disposed on the lower surface 36 of theliner 10. The bonding material 40 covers substantially the entire lowersurface 36 of the liner 10. The bonding material 40 is disposed on thelower surface 36 of the liner 10 by spraying or painting it thereupon.

The bonding material 40 imparts sufficient adhesion to permit the liner10 to be disposed in the basket opening 19 with the lower surface 36 ofthe liner 10 disposed adjacent the inner surface 20 of the basket 12 sothat the bonding material 40 on the lower surface 36 of the liner 10contacts the inner surface 20 of the basket 12 for connecting the liner10 to the inner surface 20 of the basket 12. The bonding material 40also causes the liner to conform to the contour of the inner surface 20of the basket 12. That is, the lower surface 36 of the liner 10 adheresto the inner surface 20 of basket 12 and it adheres to overlappingportions of itself. In this manner, a customized fit of the liner to theinner surface 20 of the basket 12 is obtained. The liner 10 ispreferably sized to that when the liner 10 is placed inside the basket12, the liner 10 covers substantially the entire inner surface 20 of thebasket 12.

The term “bonding material” when used herein means an adhesive,frequently a pressure sensitive adhesive, or a cohesive or anyadhesive/cohesive combination, having adhesive qualities (i.e.,qualities of adhesion or adhesion/cohesion, respectively) sufficient toeffect the connection between the lower surface 36 of the liner 10brought into engagement with the basket 12, a box or other container. Itwill be appreciated that both adhesives and cohesives are well known inthe art, and both are commercially available.

The bonding material 40 may also comprise at least one strip of bondingmaterial 40 extending over the lower surface 36 of the liner 10.Alternatively, the bonding material 40 may comprise at least one spot ofbonding material 40 extending over the lower surface 36 of the liner 10.The bonding material 40 may comprise a variety of designs, bothgeometric and fanciful (for example, hearts, flowers, slogans, and thelike). The bonding material 40 may also comprise a variety of colors.

The bonding material 40 on the lower surface 36 of the liner 10 may becovered with at least one release strip (not shown). The release stripis used to protect the bonding material 40 before the lower surface 36of the liner 10, and the bonding material 40 thereon, is disposedadjacent the inner surface 20 of the basket 12.

A plurality of liners 10 can be stacked and formed into a pad. Also, theliners 10 can be formed into a roll of material. In this instance, anelongated liner would be perforated so as to define individual liners,rather than cut completely, so that the individual liners 10 remainconnected to one another and yet can be easily separated from anadjacent liner when desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the liner 10 is shown disposed in thebasket 12. The seeds 30 are activated by exposing the seed carrier 28 tomoisture. The seed carrier 28 can be exposed to moisture in any suitablefashion, such as submerging the entire liner 10 in a body of water orapplying water to the porous covering 26 only. The liner 10 is nextpositioned in a container, such as the basket 12, so as to line theinterior surface 20 of the container. After several days the seeds 30will emit their sprout from the covering 26 whereby the soft, natural,cushioning tuft 32 is formed in the basket 12. In the alternative toplacing the liner 10 in the basket 12 immediately after the seed carrier28 has been exposed to moisture, the liner 10 can be set aside to permitthe seeds 30 to sprout prior to the liner 10 being positioned in thebasket 12.

In positioning the liner 10 in the basket 12, the liner 10 is placedthrough the basket opening 19 in the upper end 14 of the basket 12 withthe lower surface 36 of the liner 10 disposed adjacent the inner surface20 of the basket 12. The liner 10 is shaped to substantially conform tothe contour of the inner surface 20 of the basket 12. Unless the liner10 is precisely sized to fit the inner surface 20 of the basket 12,overlapping folds (not shown) are formed in the liner 10. Theoverlapping folds extend at different angles and over different lengths.

In the case where the liner 10 is provided with the bonding material 40,the release strip (not shown) is removed from the lower surface 36 ofthe liner 10. Then, the liner 10 is placed through the basket opening 19in the upper end 14 of the basket 12 with the lower surface 36 of theliner 10 having the bonding material 40 thereon disposed adjacent theinner surface 20 of the basket 12. The liner 10 is spread over the innersurface 20 of the basket 12 to permit the bonding material 40 on thelower surface 36 of the liner 10 to contact the inner surface 20 of thebasket 12, bondably connecting the liner 10 to the inner surface 20 ofthe basket 12. The connections of the liner 10 to like portions thereofdue to the formation of the overlapping folds and to the inner surface20 of the basket 12 produce a customized fit of the liner 10 to theinner surface 20 of the basket 12.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of a liner 50 constructed in accordancewith the present invention. The liner 50 is similar in construction tothe liner 10 described above, with the exception that the liner 50 isshown to have a circular configuration and a central opening 51extending therethrough.

FIG. 6 illustrates the liner 50 disposed in a container, such as aflower pot 52. The central opening 51 of the liner 50 provides theadvantage of allowing the liner 50 to be inserted into the flower pot 52so as to line the interior surface of the flower pot 52 whilemaintaining the bottom of the flower pot 52 unobstructed. As such, useof the liner 50 facilitates the positioning of a floral holdingmaterial, such as a block 54 of floral foam, which is adapted to supporta floral grouping 56. The term “floral grouping” is used herein to meancut and fresh flowers, artificial flowers, a single flower, other freshand/or artificial plants, or other floral materials. The term “floralgrouping” may also include other secondary plants and/or ornamentationwhich add to the aesthetics of the overall floral grouping.

The liner 50 is positioned in the flower pot 52 to line the interiorwalls of the flower pot 52. The seeds of the liner 50 will emit theirsprouts whereby a natural tuft 58 is provided in the flower pot 52. Thetuft 58 will accentuate the aesthetics of the floral grouping 56. Itwill be appreciated that other objects such as Easter eggs, pottedplants, or toys can be accentuated by the tuft 58 of the liner 50.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a liner 60 disposed in a flower pot62. The liner 60 includes a preformed liner portion 64 which is sizedand shaped to be received in the flower pot 62. The liner portion 64 isfabricated of a polymeric material which is thermal or vacuum formed orinjection or blow molded so as to have a substantially rigid quality.The liner portion 64 can be formed to have an internal annular groove66, preferably near the upper end thereof. The annular groove 66 isadapted to receive an insert 68 which is similar in configuration to thering-shaped liner 50 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The inserts 68 are securedin the groove 66 whereby the inserts 68 may be periodically removed anda new insert positioned within the groove 66 when desired. Again, thenatural tuft of the insert 68 will serve to accentuate the aesthetics ofa floral grouping disposed in the liner 60 or to support objectsdisposed in the liner 60.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a container, such as a basket 70, is shown witha quantity of decorative grass 72 disposed therein. As mentioned above,decorative grass, also known as Easter grass, is well known and has beenproduced by numerous methods and from a variety of materials such aspolymeric materials, paper, cellophane or the like. Typically, suchmaterials are cut and shredded to produce individual segments havingpredetermined dimensions. As also mentioned above, a problem associatedwith decorative grass is that it can easily fall out of the container inwhich it is disposed or cling to other objects, and therefore isinconvenient to clean up and to dispose of.

To overcome this problem, the interior of the basket 70 is coated with abonding material 74. As such, when the decorative grass 72 is disposedin the basket 70 in contact with the interior surface of the basket 70,the decorative grass 72 is caused to bondably connect to the interiorsurface of the basket 70. By connecting the decorative grass 72 to theinterior surface of the basket 70, the decorative grass 72 is preventedfrom falling out of the basket 70.

The bonding material 74 may be applied to the interior surface of thebasket in a conventional manner. In addition, a release strip may beapplied to the bonding material 74 to protect the bonding material 74prior to placing the decorative grass 72 in contact with the bondingmaterial 74.

From the above description it is clear that the present invention iswell adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantagesmentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. Whilepresently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described forpurposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changesmay be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the inventiondisclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

1. A method of packaging an object, comprising the steps of: obtaining adecorative basket having an open upper end and an interior surface, thedecorative basket sized and shaped to receive at least one object fordisplay thereof, wherein the at least one object is selected from thegroup consisting of an egg, candy, a toy, and combinations thereof;obtaining a liner positioned adjacent the interior surface of thedecorative basket, the liner comprising: a seed carrier fabricated of amoisture retaining material, at least a portion of the seed carrierpositioned adjacent the interior surface of the decorative basket; and aplurality of seeds held by the seed carrier such that, upon germination,the seeds sprout to form a natural tuft within the decorative basket;allowing the plurality of seeds to sprout and form a natural tuft withinthe decorative basket; obtaining at least one object selected from thegroup consisting of at least one egg, at least one candy, at least onetoy, and combinations thereof; and disposing the at least one object onthe tuft within the decorative basket so that the at least one object isdisplayed within the decorative basket.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the liner is bondablyconnected to the interior surface of the decorative basket.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the lineris a film.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of obtaining aliner, the liner further comprises a porous covering connected to thesecond side of the liner and positioned over the seed carrier such thatthe seeds will sprout through the porous covering.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the porous covering is a cloth.
 6. The method of claim1 wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the seed carrier is asponge material.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step ofobtaining a liner, the seed carrier is a gel.
 8. The method of claim 1wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the seeds are winter wheat.9. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, theseeds are fern seeds.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step ofobtaining a liner, the liner has an opening extending through the liner.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the decorative basket is an Easterbasket.
 12. A method of packaging an object, comprising the steps of:obtaining a decorative basket having an open upper end and an interiorsurface, the decorative basket sized and shaped to receive at least oneobject for display thereof, wherein the at least one object is selectedfrom the group consisting of an egg, candy, a toy, and combinationsthereof; obtaining a liner bondably connected to at least a portion ofthe interior surface of the decorative basket, the liner comprising: aseed carrier fabricated of a moisture retaining material, at least aportion of the seed carrier positioned adjacent the interior surface ofthe decorative basket; and a plurality of seeds held by the seed carriersuch that, upon germination, the seeds sprout to form a natural tuftwithin the decorative basket; allowing the plurality of seeds to sproutand form a natural tuft within the decorative basket; obtaining at leastone object selected from the group consisting of at least one egg, atleast one candy, at least one toy, and combinations thereof; anddisposing the object on the tuft within the decorative basket so thatthe at least one object is displayed within the decorative basket. 13.The method of claim 12 wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, theliner further comprises a porous covering connected to the second sideof the liner and positioned over the seed carrier such that the seedswill sprout through the porous covering.
 14. The method of claim 12wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the seed carrier is at leastone of a sponge material and a gel.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein,in the step of obtaining a liner, the seeds are selected from the groupconsisting of winter wheat, fern seeds and combinations thereof.
 16. Themethod of claim 12 wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the linerhas an opening extending through the liner.
 17. A method of packaging anobject, comprising the steps of: obtaining a decorative basket having anopen upper end and an interior surface, the decorative basket sized andshaped to receive at least one object for display thereof, wherein theat least one object is selected from the group consisting of an egg,candy, a toy, and combinations thereof; obtaining a liner positionedadjacent to the interior surface of the decorative basket, the linercomprising: a seed carrier fabricated of a moisture retaining material,at least a portion of the seed carrier positioned adjacent the interiorsurface of the decorative basket; a plurality of seeds held by the seedcarrier such that, upon germination, the seeds sprout to form a naturaltuft within the decorative basket; and a porous covering connected tothe second side of the liner and positioned over the seed carrier suchthat the seeds will sprout through the porous covering; allowing theplurality of seeds to sprout and form a natural tuft within thecontainer decorative basket; obtaining at least one object selected fromthe group consisting of at least one egg, at least one candy, at leastone toy, and combinations thereof; and disposing the object on the tuftwithin the decorative basket so that the at least one object isdisplayed within the decorative basket.
 18. The method of claim 17wherein, in the step of obtaining a liner, the seed carrier is at leastone of a sponge material and a gel.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein,in the step of obtaining a liner, the seeds are selected from the groupconsisting of winter wheat, fern seeds and combinations thereof.